Hueco Mundo, Morning, Ashido's New Hideout

Haelth woke up feeling tired and sore from the train last night. She stretches out her arms and legs loosening up her tight muscles.

"Haelth?" A voice quietly called out to her. Haelth saw Crona getting up from his sleep bag. She looked around and noticed that they were alone. Haelth starts to sweat a bit, but she tried to hide it by smiling and acting like everything is ok.

"Oh, h-hey Crona! How did y-you sleep late at night?" Haelth asked him smiling nervously. Crona not noticing nodded to Haelth. Haelth watches Crona's movements carefully. Snap at the Hollow indicated to Haelth that Crona wasn't quite fully sane. The Hollow that Crona crippled wasn't a threat to them and good as dead but Crona kept on stabbing it, torturing it to death. To Haelth Crona didn't seem to know what he was doing and just let raw emotion took control of him like-

Drop after drop of rain ran down poor Haelth's face and back as her sister kept on punching her. She screamed and shouted at her sister to stop but her sister kept on throwing punch after punch at her. Her left eye was swollen shut and her lip split open. She saw something glimmer and saw a knife on the table. Haelth dashed toward the table and grab at the knife. She heard her sister chasing after her. She has to defect herself bef-

"Haelth?" Crona's voice snapped her out of that flashback. Crona was kneeling down next to her woth his brow furrowed in worry.

"Y-yeah I'm fine Crona," Haelth answered, she forced herself to smile, "So a-anyhow are Sora and Ashido awake?" She changed the subject to move on from this experience.

Crona didn't look like he bought the act but he answered her, "They already awake and waiting for us down in the main hall."

"We better go and meet them," Haelth said starting to walk out of the room with Crona in the toe. Which Haelth was nervous about so she turned to him and said, "On second thought Crona let's go together! Better to be together than alone. Am I right?" Haelth laughed as she rubs the back of her head. Before Crona could say anything Haelth grabs his arm and drag to the main hall.

"Let's go!"

The new base was a network of tunnels dug out in a mountain. Special stones light their way as they made theirs to the main hall. There were a couple of caves that looked like someone used to live here before. Ashido told them a Vasto Lorde and their followers used to live here but they left a few years ago, but still, Hollows tended to keep away from this place in case they come back. The main hall has a stone table and a brightly lit room.

When they got to the main hall Sora and Ashido were already there waiting for them.

"You're late," Ashido's gruff voice greeted them as they entered.

Haelth scratches the back of her head and chuckled, "Sorry about that. It's my fault. I overslept and Crona stayed behind to help me." Crona hides from Ashido's glance behind Haelth which made her uncomfortable.

"Don't get into that habit. You need to be a light sleeper if you going to survive here," Ashido pointed out. "If not you'll be easy prey for Hollows." Haelth and Crona gulped at the thought of that.

"Y-yeah but didn't you say that this place was saved," Haelth questioned him.

He sighed, "For now, but there is really no safe place in Hueco Mundo," Ashido explained to them. Haelth gulped and looked down, taking all these words in. Fear crept into her heart and she felt her heart speeding up. So she decides to change the subject before things get out of hand.

Haelth coughed so she got everyone's attention, "So Ashido what did you want to talk to us about?" She asked Ashido.

Ashido stood up from his sent, "If you guys are going to stay here then I might as well teach how to survive around here." He begins, and so trio listened closely, "First I'm going to tell you the different class of Hollows. The ones you first fought/saw are called Menos. They are weaker Hollows but, don't let the guard down around them. Some have human intelligence and I have seen some soul reapers get killed by those monsters because they underestimate them. Then there are the Gillians. They were the ones that attack in the forest." Haelth flinched when she remembers Crona's break down at the forest, "The Hollows at this stage and have beast-like intelligent but they make up for it in sheer numbers."

"Why did those Hollow eat the other one?" Haelth asked remembering that they ran into a pack that ate the Hollow that Crona attack.

"Hollows will eat one another to gain more spiritual energy," Ashido explained, "Sometimes they go to the world of the living to eat souls but usually it's a lot safer to eat other Hollows instead." Haelth felt sick, 'What kind of world is this? Where creatures have to cannibalize each other to survive?' She thought to herself.

"In Hueco Mundo, it's kill or be killed here. You must be willing to take a life if you're going to survive out here," Ashido lectured them.

Haelth looked uneasy but met Ashido's eyes, "If it comes to it then I will." She told him

"Me too," Crona added.

"If my friends are in danger then I do everything in my power to help them," Sora finished.

"Good to hear." Ashido said before continued his talk about the Hollows, "Then there are Adjuchas who fewer in numbers than Gillians but stronger and smarter. The often seen leading the Gillians into battle."

"Was that Nicholas guy an Adjuchas?" Crona asked him.

Ashido nodded, "Yes he was and along with the shark one and wolf." He frowned, "Never take one of these Hollows alone. Always have someone with you when fighting any of the Hollows I told you about and have an escape route planned ahead. Don't do anything stupid and tried to be a hero." He lectured them.

"Last is the Vasto Lorde. They're rare but very powerful. If you sense one doesn't even try to fight it. Just run," Ashido told to them.

Sora frowned and asked Ashido, "Have you ever saw one of Vasto Lorde Ashido?"

Ashido shook his head, "No. I haven't personally but only the captains of the Soul Society have fought them."

"Soul Society?" Haelth tilted her head.

"That's where souls of the dead from this place go to. It's also where the Soul Reapers like myself live and they served a military force and protectors of Seireitei, the people the government and the land." Ashido started explained, there was a far looked his eye before it quickly hardens, "But they won't help us here." He told them.

"Why not?" Crona raises an eyebrow.

"Because they're not going out of their way to help a couple of lost souls like us. They looked after their own," Ashido huffed in annoyance, "We are on our own and if we want to survive out here then we have to work together and be smart." He turned the trio, "We started training tomorrow and don't leave each other side when outside got it?" The trio nodded.

"Ok I'm going to get some breakfast," Ashido told as he started to head toward the door, "Until then don't do anything stupid." With that he left the cave and trio looked at each thought the same thing, 'Man he really doesn't know about kids does he?'

Hueco Mundo, Late Morning, Ashido's New Hideout

The gang hung around the main hall waiting for Ashido to return. Sora paced around while Crona sat in the corner. Haelth was drawing on the ground to practice her alchemy. She tried reshaping the rock into different shapes, and achieve different results. Blue lightning danced around her face and out of the corner of her eye she saw Crona looking at her. When she turned to look at him, he turned away.

Haelth looked away too. She didn't know what to say to him. This awkward tension was getting on her nerves and after she heard Crona shift from his sent for the thousandth time she decided to do something about it instead of letting this drag on.

"Hey Crona," Haelth approached Crono, which startled Crona and fall on his side.

"Crona!" Haelth rushed to his side when he fell and so did Sora. But Haelth got to him first and help him, "Are you ok?" She asked him.

"I-I'm fine," Crona said as straighten himself up.

"Are you sure?" Sora asked him, knead down next to him. Crona nodded and turned his attention back to Haelth.

"S-so you wanted to talk to me?" Crona questioned her. Haelth took in a deep, 'You can do this Haelth,' She thought to herself.

"I noticed that you wanted to talk to me but keep on getting cold feet," Crona flinched explaining her situation, "If you wanted to talk to me it's fine. I won't yell or anything I promise." Haelth told him. Crona was silent for a moment and Haelth felt like her heart was skipping a beat.

'Say something,' Haelth felt a pit in her stomach as silent drags on, 'Anything Crona.'

Finally, Crona spoke up, " I wanted to know why you were scared of me?" He asked Haelth who felt her blood went cold. She didn't see this coming. Oh boy, what should she say? The truth or lie? She shook her head, 'No he deserved the truth. So stop being a coward and give it to him.'

"W-well it's not your fault," Haelth started to explain, "It's just," She looked down and took in a deep breath, "You remind me of my sister during that breakdown you have." Crona tilted his head and Haelth quickly explained: "My sister attack me when she had a PTSD attack and nearly killed me." Both Crona's and Sora's eyes widen in horror, "And when you pointed your sword at me..." Haelth sudden as her mind took her back in the past to that awful day.

Pop!

Pop!

Haelth leap out of her hiding spot with a wide grin on her face, "Sur-" Haelth was cut by Annabelle's foot that caught her in the chest and send her flying to the kitchen corner.

Thud!

Haelth gasped in pain as she felt a pain running from her neck and back. Before she could get her sister to smack her across the face with her backhand.

"W-what was that-," Haelth stuttered as she tried to get up. Only to get punched by her own sister. Eyes watered and blood dripped from her nose she tried to crawl away only to get kicked to the side that sends her to the floor. Annabelle snarled and stomped her foot on Haelth's stomach which made her scream in pain. No matter how much she screamed and cried it would not stop Annabelle from beating on the poor 10-year-old. Annabelle was trapped in her own mind and letting her emotions taken control of her.

Haelth saw a knife on the table above her and went to grab the knife when her sister pulled back her fist for another punch and pointed at her sister. At the time she just wants to get her sister away from by any means but at the same time, Annabelle about lunged at her for another punch and knife buried in her stomach.

Thud!

Her sister both frozen in shock and horror. Annabelle looked down at her stomach and felt blood drip down the floor from the wound. She looked back up at Haelth's wide eyes and finally looked at her during this whole ordeal. And her expression was not of a monster, but of a scared woman who looked betrayal that her sister who does this to her.

Before any of them could say anything Annabelle fall down.

Thud!

Haelth screamed and ran out of the house to call for help.

"Haelth?" Sora's voice snapped Haelth out of her flashback, "Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine! Why do you ask?" Haelth asked him. Crona and Sora looked at each other the former frowned a bit.

"Y-you had this far off look in your eye when you told me about your sister and you started breaking out in a cold sweat all of a sudden," Crona explained to her.

"O-oh I did?" Haelth put a hand on her forehead and sure enough, it was covered in sweat, "Aww shit." Haelth swore before she remembered what she was talking about before her flashback, "So anyway Crona," Haelth coughed and Crona looked back at her, "I was scared because your outburst reminds of my sister and...well I didn't want to get hurt again." Haelth looked at her feet in shame, "But that is no excuse to treat you badly. So can you forgive me?" Haelth asked Crona.

Crona was quiet as he thought it over. He was upset about how Haelth treated him heard her story he now understood what was going through her mind. It wasn't like he had a great family too...

"It's ok," Crona said, "I understand the fear. Just be more open about it to me, ok?" He told Haelth and she nodded.

Sora himself was quiet during this whole ordeal as his thoughts drifted his own family. He and his mother got into a fight before he left. She didn't want Sora to go on anymore adventure but Sora had too, he was keyblader and he had a duty to protect the worlds from darkness but his mom didn't understand it She had tried to stop him from leaving. So at night when she was asleep he snuck out and got in the gummi ship. He knew he shouldn't have done that but he so angry with his mother. But now...he feels regret this decision.

That's when the heard a scream from outside the cave. The trio jumped and Sora rushed out of the cave with Haelth close behind him.

"Wait where are you guys going?!"Crona cried out. Sora and Haelth paused and turned to him.

"Outside! It sounds like someone be in trouble out there!" Sora told Crona who looked even more nervous.

Crona's darted to the cave's entrance and back to Sora, "But Ashido said to stay here!" He warned them.

"But they could die before Ashido comes back! We got to save them!" Haelth barked out, and Sora ran off in the cave with Haelth in the toe. Crona looked back at the main hall then entrance, then back at the main hall then entrance, and then-

Ragnarok choose this moment to appear and hit the back of Crona's head, "Just go after them!"

"Ok!" Crona shouted back as he ran after Haelth and Sora.

Hueco Mundo, Late Morning, Outside The Cave

The first thing that Sora saw outside was a dust cloud in a distance and from the sounds of it, that's where the scream came from. So rush him towards it.

"So what's the plan?" Haelth asked Sora when she caught up with him.

"Save whoever is in trouble and beat up bad guys," Sora answered.

"Awesome plan!" Haelth grinned as Crona caught with them too.

Surprisingly the Hollows they saw looked mostly human except the large purple worm in the back. The one that was crying and screaming was wearing green cloth that covers most of their faces but judging from the size of them they look like to be a small child.

Sora turned to Haelth and Crona, "Ready?" He asked them.

"Yep!" Haelth answered while Crona nodded with a determination.

"Then let's go!" Sora runs with his keyblade in hand and jumped between the Hollows and the girl. Haelth and Crona appeared on either side of him with their weapons in hand.

"If you jerks want the kid then you have to get through us first!" Sora challenged the Hollows.

"Yeah!" Haelth add and the Hollows started coward before the trio. But then the kid kicked Sora's leg.

"Stop bullying us! What did we ever do to you!" The kid scolded at them before she lifted up her hood. What Sora first noticed that there was crack run along the left side of her Hollow mask and a large scar coming down from her forehead to her nose. Next thing he noticed that she glared at them fury in her eyes.

"They weren't attacking you?" Crona looked between the child and the Hollows in confused.

The girl pouted, "Well duh! We were playing!."

"But why were you screaming and crying?" Haelth asked the girl.

"That's because Nel is a maso-kiss and it's no fun if Nel doesn't cry a litt," Nel explained to them cheerily and the trio to nearly fell over in shock. Sora may not be the smart kid in his world but he knows that a kid should not be saying that.

"What the hell are you teaching this kid?" Haelth yelled at the Hollows while Ragnarok laughed at all this. After trio calmed down Hollows told them that they all family and they introduce themselves. Nel's oldest brother was Pesche who was humanoid Hollow who's mask resembles an insect with horns. The middle brother was Dondochakka who has a large body a hooded yellow bodysuit which is covered with black polka dots of varying sizes. His mask resembles a stereotypical tiki mask.

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys! I'm Sora," Sora smiled at the Hollow's family. Haelth and Crona took this cue to introduce themselves.

"I'm Haelth!" Haelth pumped her fist in the air in excitement.

"I'm Crona," Crona shy wave at them.

"Nel never zeen an Arrancar like you around here before. W-where are your mask?" Nel asked them which made the trio looked at each other in confusion.

"What's an Arrancar?" Haelth asked The Nel's tilted their head in confusion but then something clicked in their heads and suddenly they looked very scared.

"Wait what you guyz?" Nel asked them nervously.

She pointed at Sora first who answered, "Well we're all human but-" As soon as he said the word 'humans' Nel and her family started to panic. Pesche and Dondochakka started to yell, Nel started to cry, and Bawabawa started to wail.

"W-what's wrong?" Haelth took a step closer to them, which caused the Hollows to spring into action. Nel leaps forward and kicks sand into their faces.

"Scattered!" With that Nel and her family took off running. Leaving the trio in the dust, confused at all of this.

"Should we go after them?" Crona asked Haelth and Sora.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Haelth answered Crona's question and Sora shook his head in agreement.

"Let's head back before Ashido catches us out here," Sora said to them. With that, the trio headed back to the cave and tried quietly to sneak in.

"I think we in the clear!" Sora whispered in excitement as they step into the main hallway.

"Clear of what?" Ashido's voice asked them. The trio turned and saw Ashido sitting at one chair in the main hall. He narrowed his eyes at them like a parent would catch their kid in the cookie jar, "Mind telling me where you three have gone off too?"

Sora laugh nervously, Haelth looked away while Crona hid behind them.

Dream Link, Night

Haelth, Sora, and Crona received an earful from Ashido and then as they were forced to train without food. He did, however, let the trio eat before they went to bed. Haelth hit the bed and fell asleep immediately after.

When she opened her eyes she finds herself in a dream link again with Sakura, Edward, and Sora again.

"Anything to report?" The spirit asked them as they appeared from the shadows.

"Nothing really from our side," Edward told them and Sakura nodded in agreement.

"We met some friendly Hollows," Haelth spoke up

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Friendly Hollows?" She asked them. Haelth then explained about Nel's family and the Ashido's lessons about the different types of Hollows. Needless to say, the news caused Sakura and Edward to ponder over the new information for a bit.

"Where do these Arrancars fit in?" Edward questioned Haelth. She rubbed the back of her head and looked sheepish at them.

"We didn't get the chance to ask because Ashido caught us sneaking out and punish us," Haelth told them. Edward and Sakura nearly fall over in surprise.

"You three are impossible," Edward commented which ticked Sora off.

"Hey! We got into trouble with Ashido after we got caught sneaking out and it didn't seem like a good idea to ask him questions when he was mad at us." Sora explained to them.

"It might do some good to get into contact with these friendly Hollows again," The group turned to the spirit, "It's best to have many allies as possible in this hostile environment. We already have too many enemies here as it is and allies that are few and far in between." The spirit explained and the group nodded at this.

"Until I suggest you guys start training," The spirit said to them and then sink back into the shadows. The group looked at each other seen which one will start the train tonight.

It was Sakura that step first, "I guess I'll go. First off I need to explain to you guys about chakra..." The spirit tones out Sakura's voice and starts to think about Conner and what he's been doing lately. He wanted Sora for some reason but they haven't heard from him in a while. That can't be a good sign.

Hueco Mundo, Night, Las Noches

"So you lost him?" A calm voice asked Conner. The person asking the question appeared as a mild-featured man with brown hair that wore white clothes with a pink sash around the waist. He looked down on the crow who was on the armrest on the throne he was sitting on

Conner gave the man an annoyed look, "I hold my end of the deal. The brat is here in Hueco Mundo. There's just been... a slight change of plans."

The man raises an eyebrow, but smiled at the bird "How so?"

The crow pitched his beck, "Let's just say some extra packages I have to deal with. One of which has something that I need."

"I see," The man replied, straighten up, "But the deal was that you bring the keyblader to Las Noches for me."

Conner rolled his eyes, "Not to worry I have a plan. I'm going to send my heartless out to flash them out and separate them so you can send arrancars to pick him up."

The man nodded seemly to be pleased with this plan, "Tell me when you're ready Conner and I will hold my end of the deal."

'You better Aizen,' Conner glared darkly at the man summon of his portals and step into it. Aizen just sat in his throne deep in thought.

To Be Continued...